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Low-rent sites attract surfers
Sept 8, 2004
Pay just $5 to subscribe to a web-hosting service. People are snapping up megabytes of space to upload blogs, hobbyist websites and even to look for jobs. CHUA HIAN HOU reports
Miss Valerie Chen recently moved from her rent-free Geocities virtual home to swankier new premises with a personalised Web address.
The 21-year-old producer with a local video production house pays $12 a month to local web-hosting firm IT Works Interactive.
This fee includes 100MB of space, bandwidth, and registration fees for her web address or domain name www.aftiel. com
'Having my own domain name makes the site more personal, and having admin (administrator) rights lets me do Flash animations and stream music which free hosting sites don't. Plus, prices are quite affordable today,' she said.
Web-hosting companies like Vooju and New Media Express say that individuals like Miss Chen make up 20 per cent of their new sign-ups every month.
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| Freelance actor Vincent Lee pays $20 a month for web-hosting so he can put up his website to show his portfolio of work rather than making tapes and sending these to prospective clients. |
A few years ago, it was virtually unheard of for individuals to buy web-hosting services, said Mr Roger Lim, the chief executive officer of data centre Webvisions, which had traditionally focused on the corporate sector.
It launched a budget $10-a-month package for individuals and small businesses a few months ago, and has signed up 'several hundred customers so far'.
This unexpected success is easily explained.
Low, low prices
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| A personalised web address and the flexibility to add animation and music to her website was well worth the $12 monthly fee that Miss Valerie Chen pays for web-hosting services. |
'It all boils down to price,' said Mr Edwin Tan, Vooju's director of business development.
'Two years ago, you had to pay $20 to $30 a month, but today you can find bare-bones hosting packages for as low as $5 a month,' he added.
Vooju began offering a $6 monthly package with 50MB of space, unlimited e-mail addresses and bandwidth a few months ago. He declined to give numbers.
At today's rates, Ms Shirley Lee, marketing director for two-year-old New Media Express, believes that 'everybody can afford to have their own website and domain name'.
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| For just $10 a month, you can create virtual shrines like this one dedicated to Korean heart-throb Kwon Sang Woo. |
New Media Express's most popular package is a $7-a-month package that includes domain name registration and 200MB of space, but limited bandwidth.
About 10 to 15 people sign up with new Media Express every month, and many are polytechnic or university students, Ms Lee said.
Most people use the space for personal blogs or hobbyist sites, promoting services like real estate sales, and even fan sites devoted to idols like Korean heart-throb Kwon Sang Woo, the three web-hosting companies say.
However, some people are wary of these too-good-to-be-true deals, most of which are offered by smaller, lesser-known firms who buy bulk hosting and bandwidth from data centres and resell to consumers
For example, Miss Serena Sim, a 31-year-old Channel U The Next Big Thing finalist, would rather pay Yahoo US$11.95 (about S$20) a month for her blog.
'Yahoo is a reputable name. I'm worried about fly-by-night companies which take your money in advance and then close down the next day!' she said.
Miss Sim has cause for concern.
According to the spokesman of a local data centre, who asked not to be identified, more than 50 per cent of his resellers do not survive beyond three years.
FROM PLEASURE TO BUSINESS
For 32-year-old David Ho, his website used be the place to store photographs and update his friends on the latest happenings in his life.
Three months ago, Mr Ho realised that www.david ho.com.sg could be used to promote his real estate business.
He decided to go all the way, investing about $2,000 for a year's hosting, creating the site and the domain name.
He also spends '$2,000 plus a month' to promote his site on the Google search engine, so that others making a search can discover his site.
'It has paid off in four or five leads so far,' he said. Meanwhile, his 'fun stuff' has gone into cold storage, 'until I have more time to put it back up in a separate personal site.'
VIRTUAL AUDITION
Freelance actor Vincent Lee directs potential clients to his website instead of sending tapes of his performances. Launched last month, on Aug 17, the website hosts his appearances in local shows like Durian King, Missing and True Courage.
"It is an investment with tangible returns for me - it is immediate and cheaper than making physical showreels and posting them to potential clients," the 32-year-old former accountant explained.
While the website costs him $25 a month for 200MB of space, unlimited bandwidth and an additional $20 a year for the domain name, free services simply won't do because "they don't give me the space or bandwidth I need for the videos, which take up more than 100MB already".
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